Koh Samui Yacht Club Regatta
Sailing in The Gulf of Thailand
Monthly Sailing Yacht Regatta on Koh Samui

ARCHIVE: Race Results from Samui Yacht Club Regatta

January 2007's Regatta was held on 27 & 28 January at
Saboey Resort at Big Buddha Beach...

This was our Committee Boat for January, the Kaisso Kaia

Please visit their website here

Race Report

January Regatta at Saboey Resort 27/28 Jan 2007

Despite a flurry of emails and phone calls predicting doom and destruction should we not postpone the regatta due to impending storm activity, the race officer John Hamilton, got the fleet away at 12:30 into a pleasant 12 knot North Easterly with sunny skies.

The course was two circuits from the committee boat at Ban Rak was North, through the gap, leaving Ko Som to port, West, rounding the visible rocks Him Mu Noi and Hin Mu Yai to port and back to the committee boat.

Right from the start, Cap’n Squalls Nacra 4.5 grabbed the start and and from then on was never headed although he did admit to some help from above.

Each time as he approached the gap, he was heard making the usual pledges, “ God, just give me a lift and I swear no more bar girls, no more go go dancers …” He was closely followed by Lee Freeman's Hobie 18 and China House, the latter making big gains as usual on the square runs. Capt. Didier gave himself no chance, starting with a deeply reefed mainsail, but on the second circuit he soon shook out the reef and began clawing his way back into the race to claim a fourth.

On the eve of the regatta, we were informed our usual committee boat Kia Ora was unavailable and only after a flurry of phone calls by M’sieur Jacques were we able to secure the kind services of the charter ketch Kasso Kaia.

Sundays races began with a pleasant 15 knots Easterly with the start off Bo Phud’s Fisherman's Village, beating up to the mark off Saboey Resort at Ban Rak and then a run down to the committee boat. The first race while the fleet were beating up to Ban Rak, jet black storm clouds dropped on the fleet with a 30 knot front which gave everyone a good drenching.

Capt. Didier emerged from the rain to round the mark first, followed by China House, the Nacra followed by Lee’s Hobie Getaway. These four finished in that order, while the rest retired. The yachties were then treated to a scrumptious barbeque and draft beer sponsored by Saboey Resort with the regatta’s cameramen going bananas photographing the resorts gorgeous staff in their quest for their “Mermaid of the month” Sunday’s second race was the same course twice around but by this time the wind was up to 20 knots, leaving some steep waves off Bo Phud.

Kunta’s China House took charge this time, winning the start and led for the rest of the race. On the second mark rounding, Lee’s Hobie 18 copped a gust and capsized, but they were soon up again and finished a good fourth. Prize-giving followed with wine trophies, final results were:

• 1st John Stall (Nacra 4.5)
• 2nd Kunta China House, Capt. Didier Hobie 21.